When your Hearts are at Stake KEL NEAL fic!
by LJ4Neal
Summary: NEW CHAPTER UP! A week before his wedding, Kel is sick of hiding her feelings for Neal and just watching him slip from her hands. Deciding to do something about it, she confronts neal... PLEASE Read and REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1 Looking Back

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in the story in anyway, since it was Tamora Pierce's genius who thought them up. However, even if the characters are hers, the plot line is mine. NO STEALING!!!

HiyA~ Since my friend is going to take a while to do her part of my other story, I've just started another fan fic, more appropriate and satisfying for diehard Kel/Neal fans. This is going to get a bit mushy and romantic, but if you ask anyone I know, they'll tell you I'm a total romance freak (at least when it comes to Tamora Pierce books…) PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

"As we go on

We remember

All the times we

Had together

And as our lives change

Come whatever

We will still be

Friends Forever"

            ~ Vitamin C || Graduation (Friends Forever)

**[[ Chapter 1 - Looking Back ]]**

Today was one of those days. Sir Nealan of Queenscove buried his head in his hands. What was wrong with him today? He wasn't one of those people who lusted after a different person everyday of the week! Or at least, not anymore. He'd left those days behind when he proclaimed his love for his fiancée, Yuki. Yet here he was, suddenly, today of all days, just a mere week away from his wedding, did he have to turn all soppy and think of all these old memories? Normally, that would all be OK, if he was reminiscing about past moments of romance he'd shared with Yuki. Too bad he wasn't/ So it had come down to this: Why, on earth, could he not think of anything else but memories of his sexless best friend Kel? They just kept replaying in his head. Kel forcing him to eat his vegetables, Kel taming her monstrosity of a horse, Kel kicking his ass in weapons training, Kel SAVING his ass against those stupid bandits, Kel kissing him…

_Wait, when did THAT happen?_ Neal thought. He ran his hands through his chestnut brown hair. Ah, he remembered now. That sacred moment over a year ago, at the summer solstice ball. Kel had thought he was drunk, unable to think straight, or to remember his own name. But he hadn't been. He couldn't remember that occasion clearer than if it had happened yesterday. Smiling dreamily, he recalled that moment, remembering every detail, from Kel's stunning red velvet dress, to her intoxicating vanilla smelling fragrance, and even her soft tied-back brown hair, which she had left to grow since her defeat of the nothing man. Most of all, he vividly remembered how sweet-tasting her lips had seemed, sweeter than candy. Neal sighed. _You gotta snap outta this, Queenscove, he told himself. __That was in the past. This is now. You have a wedding in 7 days, to the love of your life, Yuki. Remember her? The one you proposed to? This is no time to get cold feet. He shook his head and stood up, dismissing his thoughts, including those regarding Keladry of Mindelan. It was Yuki he loved, not her. He would forget about Kel, he'd already decided that Yuki was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with._

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My head's full of thought 

Thoughts of you 

And I'm distracted so easy 

Thinking what to do 

So unsure, so unfamiliar 

Am I wrong to think that something could happen 

Will you fall for me 

I need to know, the way I'd like you to 

Baby, will you fall for me 

The way I've fallen for you

            ~Delta Goodrem || Will you fall for me?

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At the moment, the very same girl that Neal was struggling to banish from his mind was wallowing. Yep, that's right, Keladry of Mindelan, the emotionless Yamani Lump, was wallowing. She sat at the desk in her room, pen in hand, Face crinkled in thought. _Face it Mindelan, you lost your chance with Neal when you let him fall for Yuki, _she told herself. She was attempting to figure out supplies for Merric who was back at Haven, but was failing miserably. No matter what she did, she could not get her best friend off her mind. Already she had tried practice jousting, some glaive pattern dances, a warm bath, and now, her work. None was even the slightest effective against her constant thoughts about Neal. A small voice inside her kept on whispering, _you know, Neal's not married yet. You could still confront him about your feelings. He might even choose you over her. _Kel's sensible side of her brain refused to hear any of it. She couldn't do that to Yuki. _Besides, Neal doesn't even like me in that way anyway. I'm sexless, remember? _No guy would ever like her. For the hundredth time since realizing she still liked Neal, she remembered how one of her sister-in-law's had once commented that she had the build of a cow. Secretly, she agreed. No guy like Neal would ever fall for her, and it was a fact. For once, just once, she wished that she could be as pretty as a court lady, dressed elaborately in silky material adorned with sparkling jewels. But she knew that it would never happen.

Kel frowned. She had to do something! She couldn't just sit here and so absolutely nothing, while watching her best friend get married to one of her other closest friends. _But you've done nothing for the last 3 years, _she thought. Kel shook her head determinedly. She wouldn't do nothing this time. She didn't want to hurt Yuki, but it was her aching heart at stake, and no longer would Keladry of Mindelan keep her silence. Getting out of her seat, she strode purposely from her room, plans formulating in her mind.


	2. Chapter 2 Confrontations

Hey guys! Thank you for the reviews! Please write more! It encourages me to keep on writing! Lol, but then again, this fic has only been up for a total of 23 and 45 minutes… LOL… Well, here is Chapter 2! There's some exciting stuff happening… So keep on checking back!

"If I could say what I want to say

I'd say I wanna blow you... away

Be with you every night

Am I squeezing you too tight

If I could say what I want to see

I want to see you go down

On one knee

Marry me today

Yes, I'm wishing my life away

With these things I'll never say"

            ~Avril Lavigne || Thing's I'll never Say

**[[ Chapter 2 – Confrontation ]]**

Kel strode down the hallway, counting the number of rooms left until she reached Neal's. She wasn't good at confrontations; in fact, she was completely lousy at them. She didn't know how she was going to do this. At any moment now, she would chicken out and turn back to her room. Right now, she could already feel her courage slowly dwindling away into a pool of fear and uncertainty. Feelings her lips dry, she licked them before halting in front of the door of Neal's room. _What in the black god's name am I doing here? She thought. She raised her hand to knock wildly on the door. _Gah___! I can't do this! Her Yamani Lump side of her said. She closed her eyes hard and then opened them again, turning around to walk back._ I'll just s-l-o-w-l-y walk away and no-one will be the wiser_, she concluded. Unfortunately for her, she heard a voice call after her, which sounded strangely like her dear friend Neal's. _Oh, gods, PLEASE let that be someone pretending to be Neal_, Kel wished with all of her heart. She knew, however that this was highly unlikely. _

She felt a strangely warm hand on her shoulder. "Kel! Didn't you hear me calling you from way back there?!" Neal asked. Kel slowly turned around. She could feel her heart beat suddenly quicken, which wasn't a very good sign. Try to sound natural, she casually said, "Oh, hey Neal! I didn't hear you, sorry, I was just a little out of it". Neal looked at her unbelievingly, a single eyebrow raised in question. _Damn, he knows me too well, Kel cursed. It wasn't fair. It should be a crime to have such green eyes. Her best option now would be to change the subject before he could come up with any questions. "So, anyway, why are you here? I would think you'd be out with Yuki…" Kel commented, saying the first thing that came into her head. __Argh_! That was a stupid thing to say. Of COURSE he would be here, for mithros' sake, this is where his ROOMS ARE! _She scolded herself. "Well, my beauteous Kel, this happens to be where my rooms are, in case you've forgotten. It looked like that's where you thought I'd be I'd say, since I saw you about to knock on them. Don't look at me that way, I know the 'dodging a question' tactic better than my own name" he said, since Kel had put on her most innocent look, eyes, wide and all. "Nah, I was just going to ask you whether or not you had… you had… that book you said you wanted me to read the other day!" She muttered nervously. She could feel her palms sweating, but she glanced up into his eyes to see if he had bought her story. "You're telling  me that you, Keladry of Mindelan, came in the middle of a beautiful afternoon, to ask me for a philosophy book? Come on Kel, tell me the truth, I'm not an idiot. Well, actually, I am a bit of one, but you're a dreadful liar and you know it!" His voice joked, but the facial expression he had on was serious. _

Kel Panicked. _I should just say it. Now is my chance! Just do it Mindelan! _Voiced inside her kept on ringing through her head. She exhaled and took a deep breath. Pulling him aside into a little niche she began to say what she had planned. "Okay, you want the truth neal? I'll tell you the truth…"

Hey guys! How was that? I know, you all want to kill me since you wanna know what he says… but if you review enough, I might be a good girl and post it tomorrow… if not… then you'll have to wait! Muhahahaha…. I am evil! LOL, newaiz, so hurry up and tell me what you think… I know that this chapter is a little long winded… but oh wells! BYA~ LJ


	3. Chapter 3 Rejection

Hey peoples! I don't think I've gotten enough reviews on this story 2 keep on going on… LOL… so maybe I won't put up the next chapter till I get 20 or so… eheheh…. Nah, I won't be that mean… Plus, I don't think I'd be able to wait that long to post… I dunno… Should I or not?!?!?! OK, here's the deal, I'll post this chapter up, but I won't post the next one up until I somehow get say… 30 Reviews. Deal? Well, read on…

"Do you expect me to believe I was the only one to fall?

I could feel I could feel you near me, even though you're far away

I could feel I could feel you baby, why

It's not supposed to feel this way

I need you, I need you

More and more each day

It's not supposed to hurt this way

I need you, I need you, I need you"

            ~Avril Lavigne || Why

**[[ Chapter 3 – Rejection ]]**

_Previously in chapter 2…_

Kel Panicked. _I should just say it. Now is my chance! Just do it Mindelan! _Voiced inside her kept on ringing through her head. She exhaled and took a deep breath. Pulling him aside into a little niche she began to say what she had planned. "Okay, you want the truth Neal? I'll tell you the truth…"

_Continued…_

Kel paused. _I can do this. I need to tell him my feelings before he gets married, even if he still gets married anyway, at least it'll get him off my chest, _she thought reasonably. "Look, all I want to say is… Well, Neal, I like you in a way that's more than friendly. I've liked you ever since we were pages but I've never had the guts to tell you up until now. Up until you fell for Yuki, I always thought that something could happen between us… I know how much you love Yuki, and I don't expect you to do anything… But I just wanted you to know that you'll always be a part of me" Kel said bravely. She knew that it sounded like she was babbling, but the truth was, she didn't want to stop because she was afraid of what Neal's response was going to be. She looked deeply into Neal's eyes. "I love you Neal… I always have… and I couldn't bear it if you stopped being my Best Friend. True, I'll always want something more… But if being your friend is all I can get, then that's what I'll be happy with. I accept that you're going to marry Yuki, where you'll be happy," She said finally. She looked away, too scared that Neal was going to never speak to her again, that she would never have her Best Friend again. Forcing herself to look at him once more, she turned her head back to face him. Neal opened his mouth opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated and closed it again. She could tell that he wanted to tell her something but decided against it. Opening his mouth again, he began to speak. "Kel? I… I… I dunno. You know that I love you as a friend. And no matter what happens, you'll always be my best friend. I'm not going to lose you over something as stupid as this. But… I'm getting married to Yuki in 7 Days. I… I don't want to hurt her feelings like that. I can't do that to her. I'm sorry Kel. I know that this is a little heartless if you feel the way you do… but I really need you to be there. At the wedding I mean. I need the moral support of my best friend." Neal said seriously. Kel could sense that there was something he wasn't telling her, but it was probably just the tension in the air, the feeling of a half-rejection. _Well, I tried, _Kel thought. She could feel the tears behind her eyes, about to flow out. She had to go, anywhere except here. But before she could she needed to do something, to remember him, the one moment she had him before he was lost forever. "I have to go Neal, I have to think. Just let me do this though. Please just pretend that you do love me for a second. I need this from you, so I can remember", Kel said desperately. With that said, she closed her eyes and moved her head towards him, tears silently slipping down her eyes. She kissed him gently, before turning around and walking away from him down the corridor in the direction of her room.

Neal was bewildered. He could feel his heart ache painfully, as he watched Kel walk away from him, tears streaming down her eyes. He was completely and utterly confused. At the moment, he felt as if he wanted nothing more in the world than to take her into his arms and wipe away every single tear from her face. But that couldn't be right, right? He loved Yuki! He LOVED her! _So why did it take all the strength that I have inside me to tell her that I didn't love her? If I truly loved Yuki, I wouldn't even have hesitated to tell Kel that I didn't love her. But Mithros, I nearly told her that I DID! Neal thought, the voices inside him kept on arguing with each other. When he saw Kel crying, he almost wanted to die. She looked so innocent, so inexperienced, so forlorn when she had tears flowing down her cheeks. Right then and there, if he could, he would have traded the world just to see her smile again. Neal walked down the hallway towards his room where he could sort himself out. The Kiss. That sensational kiss. When she had said she wanted to do something, he had already known what she was going to. At the time, he didn't want her to do it, he knew it would change his mind, that he'd get lost in it. Look what happened last time! It was over a year ago, and only earlier that day it had haunted him, taunting him to insanity. He let out a sigh. No matter whether or not the kiss was good, he couldn't hurt Yuki the way he would if he went with Kel. He just couldn't. He knew he loved her, or else he wouldn't have proposed… Right? Neal closed the door behind him and trudged towards his bed, where he lay down in deep thought, his head spinning. Trying not to fall asleep, he continued to sort out whether or not it was Yuki or Kel he wanted to be with, trying to be brutally honest with him self. After he was satisfied and content with the person he had chosen, Neal let himself fall into a deep slumber so that his mind could get a break from the complications of women and his life. _

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Muhahahah…. So I might not have a total cliffhanger… but It's a half a one! Who does he choose? Well, you know the rules, 20 reviews, if not then you don't get 2 find out… hehehe, Sorry, just that I need feedback and I want to know if people like my writing… If not, then I just won't bother! Anyways, thank you all of those people that reviewed without me having to threaten to not do anything without reviews! I really appreciate what you said… If I hadn't gotten any reviews, I probably would have stuffed this fic already! ~Bya~


	4. Chapter 4 Wedding To be or Not To be?

I'm starting this chapter now because I am extremely bored and totally into the story, so I can't stop writing it… Even though I still haven't gotten 30 Reviews yet… Although that might be because it's only been 3 hours since I posted the last chapter… But since I am now totally obsessed with this story… I shall write on! And post this chapter when I get to 20 Reviews… After that I'll probably just post every 2 days… Anyways… here goes… make sure u tell me what u think and what u think I should change! Lol… O, btw thank you to the girl who suggested that I split up my paragraphs… it really helped! Hope your happy now… are these paragraphs small enough? 

Later (aka, 18/10/03, 9:59)… I just restarted the chapter… I didn't like what I had written…

**[[ Chapter 4 – Wedding … 2 b or Not 2 b? ]]**

(A/N: This is going back to when Kel walks off, but now it's Kel View)

Kel walked down the corridor, trying desperately to stop the tears. She could feel them streaming down her face, flowing out of her eyes at an alarming rate. If she looked into a mirror right now, she would probably see a very red faced, puffy-eyed girl with below-the-shoulder length brown hair. 

She looked down to avoid more curious looks. Keladry of Mindelan NEVER cried. She was the Yamani Lump. Normally, Kel would care if people saw her crying, afraid that they would convey her as weak, but at the moment, she didn't give a whit. The Lump-y side of her couldn't really understand why she was so upset. She knew that Neal was going to answer the way he did anyway. She should be glad that he still wanted her as a best friend! Deep down, she knew that it was one thing to think what his answer was going to be, but another thing to actually hear the words. 

_At least he knows. That's all I really wanted anyway, Peace of mind. I didn't seriously think that he loved me back, _Kel thought. When she had told him the truth about her feelings for him, she had expected herself to be relieved, yet why was hurting so badly inside now? 

_I guess that saying, 'the truth hurts' is true._

By now, Kel had reached her room. Turning the doorknob left, she thankfully walked in before slamming the door shut behind her. She wasn't in the mood to be gentle, closing doors required too much effort.

Dropping herself into her comfortably cushioned arm chair, she let the calm side of her resign to the tears, letting them freely escape from the corners of her eyes. _Would she ever stop loving Neal? She knew that a part of her heart never would, but for now, Kel was going to forget about her feelings for him and let him live happily ever after with the one he loved._

_Too bad it wasn't her._

******************************************************************

Neal lazily rolled out of bed, his eyes heavy. Yawning, he forced himself to walk slowly to his bathroom, so that he could clean himself up. _Back to the dramatics of Sir Nealan Queenscove, he thought tiredly. _I swear, sometimes my life is like a bloody soap opera. __

After Neal had gotten ready, he strode out of his room, and made his way down to the hall for breakfast. Contemplating how he was going to break his news, he thought about when he was going to tell Yuki.

"Neal! Wait!" A voice behind him sounded. He knew that voice all too well. Damn, he would have to tell her now! _A little earlier than expected, but I'll have to do it sooner or later… _ 

He turned around, putting on a cheery smile, his hands fidgeting behind his back. When she finally caught up with him, he hesitantly said "Hey…How are you this morning?" As he continued to walk to the mess hall, he could feel, Yuki's hand groping for his, trying to hold it as they always did whenever they walked privately together. Instinctively, his hand tried to pull back, but he willed it to hold her hand.

"I'm good, I had a good sleep. Yesterday I got us the serviettes that are going to be at the wedding. I know you wanted blue, but they didn't have any, so I got the same design in pastel green." She said cheerfully. Her voice used to brighten his mood, but today it was irritating him for absolutely no apparent reason. 

_Kel would never babble on about something as petty as this in the morning, _a voice inside his head commented. He frowned slightly. _Wait, since when did I start to compare everything that Yuki does with Kel?_

Speaking of Yuki and Kel… "Yeah, um… Yuki? About the wedding… Could I talk to you about that after Breakfast?" he said, carefully. The mood in the atmosphere changed, and Neal shifted uncomfortably. He could tell that she knew that something was wrong.

"Of course, if you want" Yuki replied, her Yamani Mask clearly visible on her face. They halted in front of the entrance, the silence becoming awkward. Neal wanted to say something, anything, just to break the sheet of ice that had built between them.

"Umm… I'll go get us some food, you can go find the rest" He said, trying to make things seem as normal as possible. Yuki nodded, before walking in the other direction to him, where Cleon and Merric had saved a table. Absently, Neal pondered how he was going to tell her while getting some food.

"So, Cleon, where's Kel?" Neal asked as casually as possible, after he had sat down and began to greedily dig into his bowl of porridge. Cleon and Merric exchanged looks. "Uhh… We went to get her in the morning, but she refused to come out of her room," Cleon said, a hint of a question in his voice, although the actual words were just a statement. After Neal deliberately ignored the questioning look, Cleon bravely asked "Do you know anything about it Neal?"

Not knowing how to answer, he just shrugged and replied "I'll go check on her after I finish this food", then continuing to finish the last of his Orange Juice and his remaining slice of toast.

When he had consumed all of his breakfast, he cheerfully smiled and stood up. "I'll go visit Kel now" he announced to the table. Turning to face Yuki, he asked, "Could I talk to you before I go?"

She nodded, and stood up as well, trying to grin confidently, although anyone that knew her could tell that she was nervous. Following him out of the hall, he motioned her to walk into a little enclosed area in the courtyard they had reached.

_She knows. She knows what I'm going to say, _Neal realized as he read the look on her face. He paused slightly, and took a deep breath, then opened his mouth to talk.

"Look Yuki… I've been thinking lately, about us, and about the wedding…" he halted, seeing her hopes that he wanted to talk about something else deflate rapidly. After quickly deciding that it was for the best, he continued. "And… and I'm not so sure if this is where I want to be anymore. I mean, I just don't know if I'm ready for the changes that this is going to make for me," he finished. 

Finally, he got the guts to look at her. Neal could see the tears that had welled up in her eyes. He didn't want to hurt her, she was still his friend, and no matter what was happening now, she had still been his lover for more than 3 years. Gently, he hugged her, but let go when she stiffened, remembering that he had just partly, in a way, dumped her.

"So… so is this the end?" Yuki asked shakily, unsure of how long she could hold herself together before she collapsed in a breakdown. Secretly, Neal was amazed. Usually, even though she had been living in Tortall for a number of years, Yuki wouldn't show her feelings so publicly if you paid her.

Neal studied her blank expression. She blinked, acting as if she didn't notice the tears that running down her face, ruining her China-Doll-Like makeup. He could tell that at the moment her head was swimming in questions, and she was probably thinking about how much she hated him for doing this to her. 

He was lost for words. Trying not to make her feel even more upset than she already was, he just calmly said "No Yuki. This isn't so much the end. I still do love you, and in a way, I always will. I'm just not so sure of some of my other feelings at the moment, and I know that it would be wrong to marry you without sorting these things out first. It would only hurt you more than now, and it would make me feel even worse for doing that to you. This is for the best"

Softly, she whispered "How? How could you do this Neal? A week before…" more to herself than to Neal. Unable to control her emotions for not much longer she looked at him disappointedly one more time and then turned around, stalking off in the direction of her room.

He let her go. _ She needs some time to herself, _he told himself. Standing still for a few seconds, he finally started to walk to Kel, uncertain of what her reaction was going to be.

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Sooooo…. How you like? I have 21 reviews so far, I just checked… YAY!! LOL, well, I asked for 20, and that's what I got… Sorry to peoples who thought I said 30… I did a little typo before… anyways… please read and review this chapter, I'd really like to know what you think… byA~!


	5. Chapter 5 UhOh

Hey! I know that it has been a while since I've posted up another chapter… but I've been busy, and a bit lazy to… so yeah… plus my internet limit is nearly up, so that means I can't go on the net and post this up till… next month… which is really annoying… plus I've been trying to do some other sites for my band, plus my own neglected website… ... Make sure you visit it! Hehehe… Anyways… better stop with this, before someone kills me for making them wait…

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"I can't get out of bed today,

or get you off my mind,

I just can't seem to find a way,

To leave this love behind…

I can't take it,

What am I waiting for?

My hearts still breaking,

I miss you even more,

I can't fake it,

The way I could before,

I hate you

But I love you

I can't stop thinking of you,

It's true, I'm stuck on you."

            ~Stacie Orrico || Stuck

**[[ Chapter 5- Uh-Oh ]]**

Kel lay in a heap, on top of her bed. _Great, now I really AM a lump, _ She thought. She rolled over, feeling her stomach grumble for lack of food. Closing her eyes again, she heard a knock on the door.

She turned over, and closed her eyes, basking in the silence. Suddenly, she heard loud thumping at the door. "Kel, open up!" a voice said loudly. Looking at the door, she glared at it with pure hatred and yelled "NO!", then proceeded to bury herself under her mountain of blankets. She didn't feel like getting out of bed today. In fact, this is where she planned to stay for the rest of the weekend. Under her doona where she could hide from embarrassment and the man called Neal for all eternity.

"It's me, Neal" The voices said. She groand. Why? Why Neal? Hadn't he rubbed his face in her wounds enough already? "Go AWAY Neal! I don't want to talk to you!" She screamed.

She buried her face in her pillow, waiting for him to leave. After a few minutes, she could still hear him banging on the door. _Doesn't he EVER give up? _She thought grumpily.

"I cancelled the wedding Kel" He said before walking away, his footsteps echoing into the distance and leaving behind a very confused Kel. She rubbed her face, her mind still registering the words. _Wait, did Neal just say that he cancelled the wedding? _She thought. _Mithros… Neal just cancelled his wedding! For ME! She wasn't sure, but all that mattered is that Neal was no longer attached and about to get married._

Kel hurriedly got out of bed, throwing a bathrobe on before lunging for the door. Catching her breath, she looked left and right, desperately searching for a glimpse of Neal. But he was nowhere to be found. Feeling her heart beat slow to its normal rate, she turned back into her room to change into her breeches.

_I have to stop acting this way. I can't let some guy dictate the way I live my life and where I go. That's just stupid, _Kel told herself. _But Neal's not just any guy! _A small voice whispered at the back of her mind. Sick of feeling useless, she made her way to the stables to groom Peachblosson and Hoshi. 

The corridors were silent apart from the sound of her feet trudging along the footpath. Kel closed her eyes, the tranquility in the atmosphere soothing her, even in the situation that she was in at the moment. 

"I-I-I can't believe he could do this to me!" Kel heard a girl weeping miserably. She followed the voice, wanting to comfort whoever it was that was upset.

Nearing the room, she froze as a look of recognition washed over her face. The number engraved onto the door in front of hers was none other than Yuki's. She couldn't go in there. No way! After all, she could very well be one of the reasons he cancelled the wedding! And face it, its not like she could honestly say that she didn't want him to cancel the wedding, since she knew perfectly well that a part of her DID.

"What did he say? Did he say why?" Another voice gently asked, which Kel identified as Lady Haname's. "H-he said that he needed t-to sort some feelings out a-and th-that is would be wrong to m-marry me," Yuki replied before letting her voice trail into a series of uncontrollable sobs.

Lady Haname said something softly. Curiosity getting the better of her, Kel edged closer to the door stealthily, so that she could make out the rest of the conversation.

"Kel? It couldn't be anything to do with Kel. She's my friend and I trust her. She wouldn't betray me. I asked Neal whether or not he was over her completely before we got engaged," Yuki said, dismissing Haname's obvious suggestion that Kel was the reason he had broken up with her.

Kel shifted uncomfortably. Even though she wasn't sure if she had anything to so with the recent events, she still felt guilty for what she saw as a betrayal of their friendship when she confronted Neal only yesterday. Not only this here she was eavesdropping on Yuki when she was defending her on the other side of the wall!

It sounded as if they had moved onto the next topic until she heard Yuki comment "Although, I'm not so sure about Neal. The other day I heard him murmuring 'Kel, come back' in his dreams. I think that he has feelings for her, even if he doesn't really know it or is sure of it". At this Kel's heart had started beating rapidly, her mind unbelieving of what she was hearing.

As she recovered from her shock, she decided that she really shouldn't be hearing any of what Yuki was saying. Lost in her thoughts, she swiftly turned to walk back to the main corridor.  Unfortunately, her sudden movements caused her to crash right into a tall man that had wheeled around the corner at the exact moment.

They fell to the floor with a loud thud, the clanging of the armor statue that Kel had fallen onto not only adding to the racket but sending a searing pain through her spine. Feeling faint, she jerked her head up and tried to sit up when she heard a door opening, most probably Yuki's.

Kel fell back down to the floor but managed to focus her vision and mover her head quick enough to see a red-faced, puffy-eyed Yuki and an elegant Lady Haname emerging from their room to find out about all the commotion.

"Kel? What are you doing here?" Haname asked in confusion, while Yuki's face was more set since she had realized who the other man was. "Neal? Why are you here? What is going on?" she demanded with her Yamani accent.

_Uh-Oh… How do I get out of this one??!?! _Kel thought.

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How was that? I know that I haven't posted up a chapter for AGES, but I was a) on holidays, and b) studying for exams… so yeah, but from now on, weekly and even sometimes DAILY updates! Please review! Thank you~ Jay.


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